United Airlines spends $500 mil to improve seats

I can do without the WiFi and Live TV, just stop charging for everything...charging for blankets, pillows, TOILETS??? Ridiculous!! Next: "In the sudden event of a change in cabin pressure, oxygen masks will magically appear from above. Simply grab the mask, place it over your mouth and nose. To start the flow of oxygen, please deposit $5.23 for the first 3 minutes, $1.72 per minute thereafter. Exact change required!".

I think all of economy should be filled with bunk beds.

Instead of spending $500 million like this, how about just giving us 3 more inches between seats in economy? How long would it take for that change to cost them $500 million? I'm guessing it would take a while, and that it would get a more positive reaction from customers than most of the other silliness they're proposing.

At the end of the day, who cares? United Airlines is a terrible, washed-up airline. Don't waste your money on them...

OK...how are they going to stiff the customers to pay for this?

Charge for WiFi? Elimination of free beverages? Pay for meals? Increased Fuel Surcharge? Charge for carry-ons? Larger flight attendants? ???

What's that saying ..... like rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic

It probably would have been better to use some of that $500 Million as severance pay to the surly, old, wider-than-the-aisle cabin attendants and to replace them with younger, friendlier flight attendants...

The airlines that make seats the most comfortable will also be the most profitable - especially on long runs; passengers will pay for the comfort and to hell with the food - they can buy that before boarding themselves.

I agree with Tokyoz on this. We usually travel on the Asian airlines. They are far better and they don't nickel and dime you for everything like the U.S. airlines. The seats and movie selections are much better, too. Cute and not so big cabin attendants, too.

After 47 years in Asia, I prefer American airlines over Asian choices - not because the inflight crew isn't toady enough for our predominantly over-bloated gaijin self esteem, but because the Americans seem more experienced, savvier, better trained and much more safety sensitive. The affable grannies that work for United may look a tad gruesome, but they certainly seem to know what's what, what's going on, and what to do in an emergency or when there are problems. I also enjoy their sense of humor. I've been on Japanese operated flights where I swear the crew were continually confused, despite endless bowing and smiling to each other and to the passengers. Jinji idou ka na? And the little Asian babes whom everyone finds so cute and delicate seem far too slight to be of much help in an emergency. And, frankly, their English usually sucks. I want to be told what to do to save my life in an emergency by someone whose accent I can easily understand. (I can see why Japanese prefer Japan Airlines, whose services bespeak their near bankruptcy, or the spartan ANA, for those very reasons.) I also think United's and American's Business Class various in-flight amenities and services - the software - on their across-the-Pacific segments are by far the best of any airlines flying those routes.